Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Dutch soldiers in Mali lack equipment

Due to lack of equipment some of the Dutch soldiers of the UN peace force cannot go on patrol. This concerns lack of night vision binoculars, equipment to jam roadside bombs as well as new lighter bullet-proof vests.


Monday, December 26, 2016

Fireworks Hotline gets over 7000 Complaints in two Days

The firework hotline vuurwerkoverlast.nl received over 7000 complaints in two days. The hotline announced that most of the complaints involved firework bombs.

http://nltimes.nl/2016/12/26/fireworks-hotline-gets-7000-complaints-two-days

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Dutch Intelligence Service Tries to Hack Whatsapp and Telegram



Dutch intelligence services are attempting to hack the encryption of Whatsapp and Telegram, said Dick Schoof, the National Coordinator of the Fight Against Terror (NCTV).  He said that this is necessary in order to know whether terrorists use such encrypted networks.  Schoof added that hacking into these programs is difficult.  He said that the intelligence services are not interested in the messages of other people.  It has also become known that the German intelligence services have a budget of 150 million Euro to try to decipher the encryption of services such as Whatsapp and Telegram.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Turkey recalls embassy employee Yusuf Acar from Netherlands

Turkey has recalled Yusuf Acar from the Netherlands. Acar held two positions. He was an employee of the Turkish embassy in the Netherlands. At the same time he was the chairman of the religious Diyanet organization, which is the umbrella organization of Turkish mosques in the Netherlands. Acar was accused of collecting information for the Turkish government on supporters of the Gulen movement in the Netherlands. He had also called the Dutch Christian Democrat party (CDA) a bulwark of Gulenists. Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders thereupon told the top diplomat of the Turkish embassy in The Hague that Acar had crossed red lines.
http://nos.nl/artikel/2149474-turkije-trekt-omstreden-leider-moskee-organisatie-terug-uit-nederland.html

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Judge Reprimanded after Tweet about Wilders


After Geert Wilders was elected Politician of the Year, Judge Sylvia Taalmen tweeted about his election, “Stark raving mad.”  Her superiors reprimanded her saying that it was a misplaced remark.  Judge Taalmen has now closed her Twitter account which had 4,500 followers.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Legal problems in condemning Assassins for Hire

The Amsterdam Public Prosecutor is calling for a change in the Criminal Code to make preparing for an assassination punishable, even without knowing who the targets are. In November eight Utrecht suspects, the so-called "assassination squad" were sentenced to prison terms of between 3 and 8 years. Yet they were partly acquitted of preparing for assassinations, because the Prosecutor could not prove who the intended targets were.


Monday, December 19, 2016

Dutch Pessimistic about Future of Country



Professor Paul Dekker of the Social and Cultural Planning Bureau said that the Dutch are pessimistic about the future of their country.  Only 28% believe that developments are moving in the right direction.  However, they are reasonably optimistic about their own life, their financial situation and the economy.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Billions of Drug Money flow through Netherlands

Tilburg mayor Peter Noordanus says that the Netherlands is a paradise for people in involved in the drug trade. He added that billions of euros in drug money flow through the country. He mentioned as a conservative estimate for the production of drugs 4 to 8 billion euros. Noordanus has led a large scale investigation into subversive crime in the Netherlands. He said that this crime is everywhere. Noordanus added that "In Tilburg alone there are 2,400 people who earn their money with drugs." He remarked that ""If we do nothing, soon nowhere will be safe.”


Saturday, December 17, 2016

Utrecht: Mosque tells Students not to denounce Criminals to Police

Various students at the Salafist mosque Al-Fitrah in Utrecht have approached the AD daily to tell how teachers there undermine Dutch law. They teach that it is forbidden to denounce criminals to the police. One student asked a teacher whether a Moroccan who is involved in trafficking in women and destroys human lives should not be denounced to the police. The teacher’s answer was that this rule is also valid for the worst type of crimes.  

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Many Cases of Fraud at Amsterdam Municipality

In the past four years, 32 cases of fraud and corruption of employees and external contractors of the Amsterdam municipality have been found.  In four cases, complaints were made to the police.  Nine people were fired and business agreements with four external contractors were terminated. One of the cases involved an employee that charged the municipality via a company he was running with his wife for half a million Euro for activities that were not carried out.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Hate Imam Returns to The Hague

The rumors that Salafist Imam Fawaz Jneid intends to build a mosque in The Hague has caused unrest among various political parties there. The VVD (Liberals) want the municipality to do all what it can to keep this imam out of town. In the past Jneid has said for instance “Oh God give Theo van Gogh a sickness which no citizen of the earth can heal.” Van Gogh was murdered by a Muslim a few month later. Jneid has also said that men can beat women in some situations.



Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The Hague charged Holocaust survivors unjustified Leasehold Tax

Seventy years after the end of the Second World War new research has found that the municipality of the Hague has charged, after the war, hundreds of holocaust survivors leasehold tax while these Jews were in concentration camps or in hiding. If they did not survive their heirs were charged. This despite the fact that the persecuted Jews’ houses had been confiscated by the German occupiers during the war.
www.ad.nl/den-haag/schadevergoeding-joodse-slachtoffers-voor-woii-belasting~a2434291/



Sunday, December 11, 2016

Former Police commissioner: Profiling is necessary

Rob Hessing a retired senior police commisioner has said that the police cannot do its work without profiling. He added that among young people with a non-Western look, there is irritation when they stopped by the police. This may be for instance when they drive a car which does not match their profile. Hessing also said that the does not exclude that police officers who have frequently dealt with non-Western criminals may have a prejudice how these people behave.



Saturday, December 10, 2016

Wilders calls the Netherlands “A sick Country.”

A court has condemned Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders – without any punishment – because of the statement that he wants less Moroccans. Wilders reacted by saying that the Netherlands has become a sick country. He added: “Moroccans are no race and people who say something about Moroccans are no racists. I am not a racist, nor are my voters.”   


Thursday, December 8, 2016

Ter Apel: North African Asylum Seekers regularly threaten Bus Drivers

Asylum seekers from the Ter Apel center cause daily problems on buses. They do not pay, are aggressive and threaten drivers. Those who cause problems mainly come from North Africa. If they get fines they tear them often up immediately. According to stewards of the bus company, the police sometimes even gives them free tickets to avoid further problems.


Wednesday, December 7, 2016

New York State places Four Dutch Firms on Blacklist for Alleged Israel Boycott



New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has placed 13 firms on a blacklist for their alleged boycott of Israel.  Four of the firms are Dutch: ASN and Triodos banks, engineering group HaskoningDHV and water company Vitens. The companies have 90 days to prove they have not boycotted Israel.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Ter Apel: Cameras to register Problems caused by Asylumseekers

After many demands from citizens and businesses the municipality of Vlagtwedde will immediately install six cameras to register problem caused by a small group of asylumseekers from Ter Apel, which is part of the municipality. They frequently cause hindrance including pickpocketing and other theft.

www.ad.nl/dossier-vluchtelingenstroom-west-europa/camera-s-tegen-overlast-asielzoekers-ter-apel~a0eae79d/

Monday, December 5, 2016

Government wants to stop undemocratic Countries from financing religious Organizations

After much pressure from parliament the Dutch government finally wants to stop the financing of Dutch religious organizations by sources from undemocratic countries. In recent months there have more and more news items on the financing of Islamic organizations in the Netherlands by foundations from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In one case an organization was involved which has links with Al Qaida.
www.elsevier.nl/nederland/achtergrond/2016/12/nu-wil-asscher-geldstroom-moskeeen-wel-aanpakken-411492/

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Secret Service Investigated Wilders

It has now become known that in 2009 and 2010 the Dutch general intelligence service AIVD investigated PVV leader Geert Wilders. An intelligence service investigating a politician is highly unusual in The Netherlands. The investigation concerned the ties Wilders had with influential people in Israel. Wilders and the AIVD declined comments.

http://nltimes.nl/2016/12/02/secret-service-investigated-wilders-israeli-contacts

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Rutte warns of breaking up of European Union

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has spoken in Warsaw at a congress of ALDE the Liberal faction in the European Parliament. He said that the EU has to listen seriously to the worries of its citizens. Rutte remarked that one has to stop dreaming about more Europe and further European integration. He identified the economy and migration as the two prime problems to deal with. Rutte added: “I am convinced that if we do not solve the problems of the European population we bring Europe closer to the abyss.”  
www.elsevier.nl/nederland/achtergrond/2016/12/rutte-waarschuwt-voor-uiteenvallen-eu-stop-met-dromen-over-meer-eu-411038/

Friday, December 2, 2016

Historian: Dutch Army’s Violence in former Dutch Indies was structural

Swiss Dutch historian Remy Limpach has published a book in which he claims that extreme violence by the Dutch Army in Indonesia (then the Dutch Indies) from 1945-1949 was structural and not incidental. He claims that it left behind a trail of burning villages and dead bodies. Limpach writes about extreme torture and killings of prisoners without process as well as random shootings on civilians, including women, children and the elderly.    


Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Dutch TV Program Obtains Confidential Europol Data


The Dutch TV program Zembla has obtained 700 pages of confidential information from the European police agency, Europol.  The data includes hundreds of names and telephone numbers of people associated with terrorism between 2006-2008 as well as an analysis of the Dutch radical Muslim Hofstad group and the Madrid bombings. The data was obtained from former Europol employee who took it with her and she now works for the Dutch National Police.  Europol has informed the Dutch National Police and it is up to the Netherlands whether the woman in question will be prosecuted.
http://nltimes.nl/2016/11/30/dutch-tv-program-gets-hold-confidential-europol-docs

Friday, November 25, 2016

Parliament: Incompetence Enables Jihadists to Operate


In a parliamentary debate on terrorism, there was much criticism about the execution of the anti-terrorist policy.  Even the government parties consider that incompetence leads to the jihadists being able to operate freely.  Parliamentarians are of the opinion that no new measures were required but rather proper execution of the measure that already exist.  There are several examples of jihadists who could pass at airports through passport control because the systems didn’t identify them.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/27096754/__Aanpak_terrorisme_faalt__.html

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Moroccan Wanted to Bomb Synagogue


It has now become known that a Dutch Moroccan visitor of the Arrayan mosque in the north of Amsterdam planned a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Amsterdam.  He was the head of a terror group which shortly afterwards wanted to plant a bomb at a financial institution in the same part of town.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Traffic Jams Cost Dutch Economy more than 1 billion Euro

Traffic jams cost the Dutch economy in 2015 1.1 billion Euro, according to a report by the TNO institute. The government has spent much money on road improvement in recent years. Yet the figure of these costs is equal to the one in 2011.

www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/11/traffic-jams-cost-the-economy-up-to-e1-1bn-last-year/.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

People seeking compensation for earthquakes linked to gas extraction

127 householders in Groningen province whose homes have been damaged by earthquakes linked to gas extraction are seeking compensation for trauma and distress. Lawyer Pieter Huitema says that his clients suffered from problems such as stress, lack of concentration, poor sleep and persistent anxiety. If the case is successful it may lead to claims from others among the more than 100,000 people been affected by the earthquakes in the Groningen gas field.

                          

Monday, November 21, 2016

Timmermans: Europe is in danger of failing
Frans Timmermans is the First Vice-President of the European Commission and a former Dutch minister for foreign affairs. In an interview he said: “We have fallen into the trap of identity politics. If the driving force of the European construction is national, cultural or ethnic identity, then it will not survive. For the first time in 30 years, I really believe that the European project can fail.”
www.euractiv.com/section/euro-finance/interview/frans-timmermans-the-european-project-can-fail/

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Bolkestein: Big D-Mark Area Currency Will Replace Euro



Frits Bolkestein is a former Dutch EU Commissioner, leader of the Dutch Liberal Party (VVD) and Defense Minister.  He says that the Eurozone is a failure as the economic differences between southern and northern Europe are too big.  He thinks that a northern European enlarged D-Mark currency will replace the Euro.  If so, it will be adopted by Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria.  The big question is whether France will belong to the new currency area.  If not, the political bond between France and Germany will fade away.  This is currently the main bond in the European Union.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Timmermans: Gulen-movement involved in Turkish Coup
Frans Timmermans, the Dutch Vice President of the European Commission has said that the Gulen-movement “certainly" played a role in a failed coup in Turkey earlier in 2016.
Timmermans told the Belgian paper Knack: "It is now clear that what President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says about the role of the Gulen moevement in the coup is not total nonsense." He added that there are growing indications for his statement on the basis of American investigations.

http://nltimes.nl/2016/11/15/timmermans-gulen-played-role-turkey-attempted-coup

Friday, November 18, 2016

Wilders: The Netherlands is Losing Freedom of Speech

In a process against Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party the Public Prosecutor has asked a penalty of 5000 Euro. Wilders had asked some of his followers whether they wanted more or less Moroccans. The answer was: “less Moroccans.” Wilders has reacted to the penal demand by saying: “the biggest problem in our country – the problem with Moroccans – is now punishable according to our elite.” He added: “I will continue to fight for a safe Netherlands. That is why Islamic terrorists have been trying to kill me for 12 years. Today these terrorists rejoice.”  

www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9354/geert-wilders-prosecutor

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Dutch Ships with War Graves disappeared from Bottom of Java Sea

In February 1942 three Dutch ships were sunk in a battle with the Japanese in the Java Sea near Indonesia. It now turns out that they have partly or entirely disappeared from the bottom of the sea. This is probably due to robbers, who are interested in the ships’ metal. More than 900 Dutch marines and 250 Indonesian Dutch marines were killed in the battle. Also the wrecks of British ships, who were part of the Allied forces in the battle have disappeared. 

www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2016/11/15/nederlandse-oorlogsgraven-in-javazee-verdwenen

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Verbal Abuse in Dutch Parliament

Dutch parliamentarian Selcuk Ozturk (Denk) has suggested that the Dutch army should no longer have weapons. It led to an exchange of verbal abuse between him and Louis Bontes (for the Netherlands) in the Dutch parliament. Bontes said that Erdogan should do the same. Ozturk said; “who are you to ask me about where my loyalties are?”  Bontes replied: Who are you. … go back to Turkey.”


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Groningen: City Center Flooded with Moroccan Pickpockets

The city center of Groningen is flooded with Moroccan pickpockets. These are asylum seekers with hardly any chance of being given asylum, as Morocco is considered a safe country. Many of them live in two asylum centers. The pickpockets target mainly wallets, wallets, coats and telephones. Groningen mayor Pieter den Oudsten has said that these people should be sent back to their country of origin immediately.

www.elsevier.nl/nederland/achtergrond/2016/11/groningse-binnenstad-overspoeld-door-zakenrollende-marokkanen-400719/

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Role of Former Head of Dutch Police Investigated

Investigations are under way concerning the waste of money by the National Council of the Police Union’s (COR) representatives at the time Gerard Bouman was head of the National Police. Bouman’s successor Erik Akerboom has said that indeed large parts of the COR’s budget were wasted. Bouman, who is still adviser of the Dutch Police has announced that he will temporarily abstain from carrying out any advisory activities while the investigation is under way. All COR members have resigned their functions.

www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/39681/nbsp/article/detail/4411061/2016/11/08/Ex-korpschef-Bouman-legt-werk-tijdelijk-neer.dhtml

Thursday, October 27, 2016

King’s Grandfather sexually harassed Women at Royal Palace

Historian Jolanda Withuis has published a biography of the late Queen Juliana, the grandmother of the current Dutch King Willem Alexander. In the book she tells that the king’s grandfather and Juliana’s husband Prince Bernhard of Lippe Biesterfeld sexually harassed women at the Royal Palace in Soestdijk. This in addition to the extramarital affairs the prince had on various trips. Prince Bernhard had two daughters outside wedlock.


Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Roman Catholic Church paid thirty million Euro to Sex Abuse Victims

The Dutch Roman Catholic Church has paid almost thirty million Euro to sex abuse victims. Chairman Stevens of the complaint commission said that one can speak about structural abuse in the Church in view of the many perpetrators. All in all the commission received 3676 complaints. Of these about 1000 were found justified. There were at least 300 cases of severe abuse. The largest payments were 100 000 Euro.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Minister: Pesticides in Ground Water for drinking Uses.

Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen says that a quarter of ground water in the Netherlands, from which drinking water is extracted, contains too high or nearly too high levels of pesticides. She called it “cause for concern.” The substances found in the ground water mostly involved herbicides and breakdown products. The minister pointed out that in ground water contamination can take a long time and may manifest for many years after use. In a letter to parliament she mentions measures taken and to be taken to reduce the problem..
www.nltimes.nl/2016/10/11/pesticides-netherlands-ground-water-revealed-minister-concerned/

Monday, October 10, 2016

Almere: Mosque collaborates with illegal Wedding

An undercover journalist Alberto Stegeman has discovered that the Al Raza mosque in Almere collaborates with people who want to marry illegally more than one woman. In a SBS6 TV program titled undercover in Nederland a woman says that she wants to marry a Muslim, whose third wife she will be.  The chairman of the mosque shows willingness to assist in the wedding even though he knows that polygamous weddings are illegal in the Netherlands. It is also forbidden to marry in a religious ceremony before one marries in a civil ceremony.
www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/140442/almere-almeerse-moskee-werkt-mee-aan-illegaal-huwelijk

Friday, October 7, 2016

Number of Dutch Tourists getting Rabies abroad doubles

This year the crisis center SOS International was contacted 136 times by Dutch tourists abroad claiming to have become sick with rabies. In 106 cases this diagnosis was confirmed by physicians. Last year the number of such contacts with SOS International was about half of the number of this year. In 2013 the number of contacts was only 21 of which 16 were confirmed as patients with rabies by physicians. If the sickness is not treated in time it can be lethal. SOS International has no explanation for the increase in the number of cases.



Thursday, October 6, 2016

Terrorists may have targeted Amsterdam Airport

On 13 November 2013, a series of terrorist attacks took place in Paris. 129 people were killed.  The French anti-terrorist organization, SDAT, thinks that two terrorists of the same group came to the Netherlands on that day possibly to target Amsterdam Airport.  The terrorists, however, returned instead to Brussels.  This information resulted from the analysis of data found on a computer.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Rotterdam Muncipality: Obligatory Contraception for Highly Problematic Parents

The Alderman Council of Rotterdam, has sent a proposal to the Municipal Council to introduce obligatory contraception for highly problematic women. Alderman Hugo de Jonge (Christian Democrat) says that this concerns for instance women who are drug addicts, have psychiatric problems, are mentally challenged or work as prostitutes. De Jonge says that social workers are confronted with cases of extreme neglect or abuse. De Jonge said that the right of children to grow up healthy is as fundamental a right as the right to get children.  

www.ad.nl/dossier-nieuws/rotterdam-verplicht-spiraaltje-bij-incompetente-ouders~acee1850/

Friday, September 30, 2016

Police Union Unhappy with Civil Patrol Units

Gerrit van de Kamp, of the police union ACP considers civil patrols as potentially dangerous. He called them activities in the twilight zone. Yet there are already 700 such civil patrols. They operate in half of the Dutch communities. Van de Kamp admitted that the authorities do not succeed in dealing with the feelings of intimidation and insecurity in The Nethelands.

www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/39683/nbsp/article/detail/4386051/2016/09/29/Een-buurtwacht-belandt-al-snel-in-schemergebied.dhtml

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Minister criticizes Groningen University after Student hospitalized

During an initiation ritual at the Vindicat student association in Groningen a first year student was hospitalized with a cerebral oedema. Initially the university said that this was an internal matter for the association. Then education Minister Jet Bussemaker intervened. She condemned the university’s reaction as completely insufficient. Now the university and the Groningen city council want to abolish initiation rituals. Earlier nude pictures of 22 female students from the association were put on an internet site and opinions given on “their performance between the sheets.”
www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/09/groningen-student-hospitalised-after-initiation-ritual/

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Dutch fighter Planes have no ammunition to bomb ISIS

General Middendorp has informed parliament that it is doubtful whether the Netherlands can replace the Belgians in July next year to bomb ISIS. One problem is that The Netherlands does not have smart ammunition left for the planes. A second is that maintenance activities have to be carried out for the F16 planes. A third problem is that they have to fly missions for NATO

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Erdogan starts investigation of Gulen-activities in The Netherlands

Robert Amsterdam, the American lawyer of Erdogan says that The Netherlands is an important country in the Gulen movement, because so many Turks live in this country. He remarked that not every adherent of Gulen is a criminal. Amsterdam expects the Dutch Gulen organization carries out mafia type activities in The Netehrlands like “everywhere.”    
www.metronieuws.nl/nieuws/binnenland/2016/09/erdogan-start-onderzoek-naar-gulen-in-nederland
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Monday, September 26, 2016

Dutch Srebrenica soldiers prepare huge claim against Dutch State

A group of veterans of the Dutchbat III unit prepared a huge claim against the Dutch state because were knowingly sent on an impossible mission to Srebrenica in 1995. The lawyers who represent them say that the claimants number more than 100 soldiers and some officers. Some of the soldiers still suffer from post-traumatic stress after Bosnian Serbian soldiers killed approximately 8000 Muslims from Srebrenica.  The commanding officer of Dutchbat III, Thom Karremans, said that the preparation of the unit was abominable.  Recently, Dutch Minister of Defense, Jeanine Hennis, said that it was known before the soldiers were sent there that the mission could not possibly be carried out.  It is expected that the lawyers will call Hennis to testify as a witness in the upcoming court case.


Sunday, September 25, 2016

Christian Democrats want Investigation of drug-smuggling in Port of Rotterdam

The Christian Democrat Party wants an investigation of drug smuggling through the port of Rotterdam. Parliamentarian Madeleine van Toorenburg said that one has to investigate also the impact on society of the smuggling. She added that one should avoid The Netherlands becoming a “Narco State’. The Ministry of Finance wants to reduce the number of custom employees dealing with drug smuggling by 40%.  www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/26675260/__CDA_wil_onderzoek_cokesmokkel__.html

Saturday, September 24, 2016

A Quarter of Community Service Sentences not fully carried out

A quarter of community service sentences are never or only partially carried out, according to new figures from the probation service Reclassering Nederland. Thousands of people sentenced to community service either fail to show up or are sent home for aggressive behaviour or breaking the rules, broadcaster NOS said. In 2013, there were problems with one in five community service sentences, but this rose to over one in four last year. This means in 2015 almost 11,000 people failed to carry out their sentence. 

Friday, September 23, 2016

Despite criticism Rutte maintains his “Fuck up” statement against Dutch-Turkish hooligan

There has been much criticism in parliament on Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s statement “fuck up” about a Dutch-Turkish hooligan who harassed a journalist. Green left leader Jesse Klaver said that Rutte is pushing people out of Dutch society at a time when Turkey tries to influence them. In reply Rutte said that he stands fully behind his remark.  

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Wilders: King’s speech full of fairy Tales

Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders reacted to King Willem Alexander’s speech on the occasion of the opening of the parliamentary session by saying that he felt like being in the Efteling theme park of fairy tales. He said that the speech contained the government’s fairy tales, which are unrelated to reality, which looks totally different. In his view citizens have seen that the country has been destroyed by the cabinet. Wilders referred to the negative changes in social affairs and to the increases of rent. Wilders mentioned the influx of asylum-seekers and commented “we nearly lost our country.”